David laweexce



(No Model.)

D. LAWRENCE,

TAP FOR BARRELS, GASKS, &c.

No. 301,730. PatentedJul 84.

N. Pmi Photo-Jongeman wan-gwn. l)4 c.

STATES Murine Arnivr OFFICE.

DAVll) LVRENCE, OE" BOSTON, llrlSSAGHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANDCHARLES GRANT, JR., OF SAME PLACE.

TAP Foa BAnusLe, casse, sec.

ECECATION forming par?. of LettersPal-:ent No. 301,730, dated July 8,1884-.

Application filed February Q3, |884. (No model.)

.To all wwm it may cnn/cern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID LAWRENCE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusettshave invented certain Improve ments in Tapsfor Barrels, flasks, 85e., of which the f ollowin gis a full, clear, andexact descrip tion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making part of this specification, in which- Figures l and 2 areperspective views of a barrel plug or tap constructed in accordance withinyinvention. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sec tion through the center ofthe saine applied to the barrel. Fig. 4: is a tap having its-front platei 5 of' polygonal form for convenience of applying a wrench thereto toturn it into its seat. Fig. 5 shows the front plate of different form.Fi G shows the valve setin flush with the front plate and a cover orguard therefor; Fig. 7, a central 2o vertical section,lto be referredto; Fig. S, a screw-plug for closing vthe opening in the valve or theopening in the guard.

ln the transportation of beer and other gas` eous'liquids contained inbarrels, easks, Sac., owing to the liability ol' being struck andinjured or displaced, the draft cock or faucet is notinserted thereinuntil the receptacle arrives atits destination,when, preparatory to use,the faucet is 'driven into the outlet by forcing in a 3o woodenplug,(usuall y employed for closing the sa1ne,) which operation involvesmuch labor, requires skill, and is nevertheless attended with more orless waste of the liquid, and after-be ing frequentl y repeated destroysthe original 3.5 circular or other form ofthe outlet, rendering itnecessary to remove a portion or the whole of the barrel-head andreplace it by a new one. Furtherniore,where a pump is employed forelevating the liquid, it often happens that the .io tube or pipeconnecting it with the outlet-passage bursts, and no proper means beingat hand for shutting oft' tlieliquid much loss is occasioned.

My present invention hasfor its object to remove these diiiiculties; andit consists in a tap or hollow plug located within the head df thereceptacle, preferably while empty, and remaining permanently therein,said tap being provided with a rotating valve adapted to receive afaucet or pump or siphon-tube when the liquid is required for use, andalso capable ot' readily and securely closing the passage leadingthrough the tap into the liquid when nt in use or for transportation.

illy invention also consists in a covering plate or shield forprotecting said valve, and also in a perforated plate or strainerlocated within the receptacle and in contact with the inner end of thetap when the latter is also perforated, and is to be used for drawingliquids of 6o light'eonsistency, said perforated inner plate beingrotated back and forth on its seat, in or der to clear it from anysediment which may have collected thereon.

To enable others skilled in the art to under-A stand and use myinvention, I will proceed to describe the inannerin which l have carriedit out.

In the said drawings, A represents a hollow plug or tap ofslightly-tapering forni, being 7o smaller in diameter at its inner end,the eXterior of the plug being provided with a screwtbread for ease oflocati on within the draft-outlet in the head ofthe barrel B. rIhe outerend of the plug isprovided with a plate, C, oi' con- 7 5 -siderablediameter, extending across it, the contour of the outside of the platebeing either polygonal, as seen in Fig. 4, or circular, with openingstherein, for convenience of applying a suitable wrench thereto. Theplate Gis pro- 8C vided with a circular opening, a, leading into thehollow plug, and surrounding this opening is a raised lip, b, Fig. 7,over which is fitted a flexible washer or packing, c. Passingthrough thecenter of the plug and its outer plate, C, is an axial pin, d, Fig. 3,to the outer end of which is secured a valve,-D, having an opening, c,the l valve resting on the packing c, and,when rotated on the axis d,bringing said opening e in line with the opening a. in the plate C, andwith the interior of the hollow plug. The valve-opening e isscrew-threaded, Fig. 3, to receive the threaded end of a draft-cock, E,or pipe-connection, which may be instantly removed and applied, asdesired. The inner end ofthe plug is eitherleft open to forni afreepassage ot' considera-ble size when a liquid of great specificgravity-such as molasses-is to be drawn; or said inner end may consistofa perforated wall, f, when the barrel is intended to roc hold a liquidof light consistency, liable to contain sediment; and in order to removethe'same and insure atI all times the unobstructed now of the liquid, Iemploy a perforated plate or strainer, h, secured to the inner end ofthe axial pin d, on which the valve D is pivoted, the strainer being incontact with the perforated wall f, and the perforations inthe strainerh being larger than those in the wall f, the rotation of the strainerserving to out up,lloosen, and remove the sediment which may have beendeposited on the said wall. When the opening a, in the plate G and theopeninge in the valve D are in line with each other and the passage inthe plug, the perforations in its Wall and those in the strainer 7i arealso in line. The valve D is rotated by applying the hand to theprojection G is a guard or shield for covering the valve D, Fig. 6, andprotecting it from injury, said guard being provided with ascrew-threaded opening, k, for the reception of the screwthreaded end ofthe faucet or tube-connection, in which casethe screw-thread in thevalveopening e will be dispensed with.

H is a screw cap or plug for closing the opening d in the valve D whenno guard G is used, and for closing the opening kin the guard only whenthe latter is employed.

The form of the outer plate, C, (see Fig. 5,) is oblong, (instead ofcircular, as shown in Fig. 2,) to admit of pivoting the valveD outsideof its center, and to allow of the maximum size l of the opening atherein, the valve D being plate, C', and its'guard or shield G, or whennot provided with such guard, may rest on the outer surface of the plateor be set in flush therewith, as maybe deemed advisable.

'It will be observed that in Fig. 7 the face- 1,5l

plate C of the screw-plug A is turned out, so as to forma raised rim,and lying flush within the recess formed thereby is located, rst, apacking and next a valve, D, resting thereon, the outer surface of thevalve lying iiush with Lthe outer surface of the rim of the plate C,while in Fig. 3 no such recess in the plate eX- ists, the entire valveprojecting outside the outer surface of the plate.

I claiml. The hollow plug or tap A, with its outer plate, C, formedintegral therewith, and with an outlet-opening, a, in combination withthe valve D, pivoted to the plate C, and having an opening, c, adaptedto be brought in and out of line with the outlet a by the rotation ofsaid valve, constructed to operate substantially as described.

2. The hollow tap A, having at its outer end a plate C, provided withanvoutlet, a, and with a perforated wall, f, at its inner end, incombination with a valve, D, pivoted to the outside of the plate G, andhaving an opening, e, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination, the hollow plug A,'with its outer plate, G, having anoutlet, a, and an .inner perforated wall, f, a strainer, h, avalve,

D, and an axial pin,.d, connecting the strainer with the valve, thestrainer being rotated by the rotation of the valve, as and for thepurpose specified.

4. The hollow plug A, having a plate, C, provided with an outlet, a, anda perforated wall, f, andavalve, D, pivoted to the outside of saidplate, and provided with an opening, e, and with a slot, Z, for thepassage of a clamping-screw, m, as set forth.

Vitness my hand this 11th day of February, 1884.

DAVID LAWRENCE.

In presence of- N. W. STEARNS, JAs. NV. CHAPMAN.

